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As you are well aware, our brand is facing quite some challenges. But we are making good progress, creating a new and even stronger Volkswagen.

Sales are rising. In 2016, worldwide deliveries increased by 2.8 percent to 6 million vehicles. The regions are recovering. In the United States and in South America, we are growing with double-digit figures in the recent months.

And profitability is making progress, too. Although we had to deal with pressure on margins, we have kept our operating results in 2016 stable, mainly by cutting costs. In Germany alone, we cut fixed costs by about 300 million euro – the first decrease since 2007.

In a nutshell: Our work is already paying off. We have put ourselves in an excellent starting position for 2017.

And, Ladies and Gentlemen, we will gain even more momentum with our global product offensive.

In recent months, we have talked a lot about the future of the Volkswagen brand, about the I.D. and the I.D. BUZZ. And we stand by our promise: From 2020 onwards, we will launch the fully electric, fully connected car for everyone.

Now here in Geneva we are turning the spotlight to our near future, to the cars of 2017. We present the biggest product offensive in our brand's history. This year alone, we bring more than ten new vehicles on the road. Five of them are all-new vehicles without a predecessor. And two of them are here on stage today.

The Tiguan Allspace offers everything that you love about the Tiguan. In addition, it has much more space – for a third row of seats, for luggage, for bicycles.

The Arteon is Volkswagen's new, exciting top-of-the-line model. The Arteon has the proportions of a Gran Turismo, the sleek roof-line makes it absolutely beautiful.

At the same time, there's plenty of room for up to five people – plus their luggage. Beautiful and functional: That's a winning combination. And of course, the Arteon offers the very latest in infotainment and semi-automated driving.

It's the perfect car for people who appreciate both great style and great value for money. People who listen to their heart and to their brain. Until now, they had to make a decision: Either, or. The Arteon now offers both. That is how we're challenging the premium carmakers.

And, Ladies and Gentlemen, there are many more great new cars coming out this year.

The Golf and the e-Golf, ready to dominate their segment for years to come, just launched last week with great customer reaction. The Atlas, boosting sales in the United States, also very well received by the American press and public. The new Polo and the Polo GTI, now built on the MQB platform and much more technologically advanced. The up! GTI, just as emotional as the very first GTI 40 years ago.

The Phideon plug-in hybrid, our new flagship in China. The Jetta, our cool car for the young crowd in the U.S. The Virtus, our first MQB product for Brazil to regain strength in the region. The new T-Roc, a Golf-sized SUV, another milestone for our brand. And the new Touareg, becoming our brand's new top model.

As you can see, Ladies and Gentleman: The Volkswagen brand is on the move. We are moving forward with new, emotional products. And we are realigning the whole brand, making it much more competitive and future-oriented.

I'm sure: 2017 will be an excellent year for the Volkswagen brand.

We will grow worldwide. We will gain market share. We will improve profitability. We will come back in North and South America. And we will push ahead with our plan for the future.

The specified fuel consumption and emission data have been determined according to the measurement procedures prescribed by law. Since 1st September 2017, certain new vehicles are already being type-approved according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), a more realistic test procedure for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Starting on September 1st 2018, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) will be replaced by the WLTP in stages. Owing to the more realistic test conditions, the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions measured according to the WLTP will, in many cases, be higher than those measured according to the NEDC. For further information on the differences between the WLTP and NEDC, please visit www.volkswagen.de/wltp.

We are currently still required by law to state the NEDC figures. In the case of new vehicles which have been type-approved according to the WLTP, the NEDC figures are derived from the WLTP data. It is possible to specify the WLTP figures voluntarily in addition until such time as this is required by law. In cases where the NEDC figures are specified as value ranges, these do not refer to a particular individual vehicle and do not constitute part of the sales offering. They are intended exclusively as a means of comparison between different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (e.g. add-on parts, different tyre formats, etc.) may change the relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and power consumption of new passenger car models”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, D-73760 Ostfildern, Germany and at www.dat.de.